Understand that Jess Root and I aren’t feeling good these days, just like the Arizona Cardinals. With two weeks remaining in the regular season, we are suddenly 9-7 in H-Bomb-eligible games (those with a line of 6.5 points or more) after we both were 7-3 after 10 weeks.
Of course, after an amazing overall start in which underdogs covered in 12 of the first 13 games of the season and had a record of 17-2 ATS after six weeks, the favorites have done much better since then.
After the underdogs covered in only one of six games last week, the overall record is now 38-29 ATS (that’s 21-27 ATS since Week 6 and an overall percentage of 56.7). The last outright win (direct hit) was Tennessee over Houston in Week 12. Since Week 10 when the record was 30-14 ATS for the underdogs, it’s been 11-16 ATS including 3-9 ATS in the last three weeks.
My last outright win was the Seahawks over the 49ers in Week 11 and for Jess it was the Browns over the Ravens in Week 8.
Last week, Jess lost with his pick of the Giants to cover the 8.5 against the Falcons as they lost by 27, while I thought the Steelers would cover the 6.5 against the Ravens, but lost by 17.
Now, we are both scuffling to finish the season over .500.
So, here are the eligible games for this week:
- Rams -6.5 vs. Cardinals
- Bills -9 vs. Jets
- Eagles -7 vs. Cowboys
- Buccaneers -8 vs. Panthers
- Colts -7.5 at Giants
- Dolphins -6.5 at Browns
Jess will cast his lot with the Cowboys, despite not having wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, while I will go with the Panthers, who have won four consecutive games as H-Bomb-eligible underdogs.
STANDINGS AFTER 16 WEEKS
Jess: 9-7 (3 direct hits)
Howard: 9-7 (3 direct hits)
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